WHAT WE DISLIKED:

Introduction

It wasn’t long ago when we would look at, say, a 750W power supply, and knew that it had more than enough juice to power some of the most demanding computer systems out there. Fast forward to present day and we look at what is available on the market, we see monstrous processors now the norm, and gaming rigs with multiple graphics cards. Throw in some aggressive overclocking and we’ve got a behemoth system that’ll drink power like it’s going out of style. And thus we have the rise of the Kilowatt power supply.

Even with companies touting the “green” banner around the field the trend for more power remains as strong as ever. This leaves the arduous task of making power supplies that are up to the task, of keeping our rigs running smooth and sufficiently powered. Modern power supplies come in an abundance of models and makes, wattages and colors.Manufacturers, now more than ever, are offering a wider selection of choices to a more astute public, and with systems typically consuming more and more power with each generation, the once-lowly power supply now occupies a critical place in a computer system.

Today we’re looking at a couple of units from Cooler Master, specifically the V Series power supplies, which come with a fully modular design, 80Plus Gold certification, and attractive price tags at $189 for 850W and $210 for the 1000W model.

They certainly look stealthy in the all-black finish, and the 80Plus Gold is attractive for this power range. Toss in a single +12V rail and a 5 year warranty, and we’ve got something very enticing here. The real question, however, remains: how do they perform? This is where products are made or broken, so let’s get these Cooler Master V Series units on the bench and find out.